Power Rangers Defiled
by Dinomus
Summary: What if there is a dark secret that Zordon hid from even his most trusted Rangers? What if this secret would lead to an attack on new and old Rangers facilitated by an evil that would make even the greatest Rangers fall to it's power? And what if it includes a new Ranger that was just as dangerous and could actually destroy the Rangers when no other enemy could?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Don't own Power Rangers.**

**A/N: This is an **_**attempt**_** at a more mature level of Power Rangers, though with the FFnet rules, it'll be more toned down in terms of graphic matter, which is fine in some cases, not in others depending on the situation. Anyway, I won't really go past Dino Thunder, cause admittedly, I'm more into the earlier versions, and after Space, it kind of wavered. Plus, I don't care anymore after Dino Thunder, thanks to the return of Tommy Oliver to get me to watch. Anyhow, I'm rather disingenuous towards other versions, so if anyone feels offended, I apologize. It's just I can't anymore nor do I want to, as I want to hold on to the earlier versions, but if people can help inform me better understand the later PR shows instead of me just basing stuff off of the descriptions online, then please do. Otherwise, you're really not going to see much of shows like Samurai or Mystic Force, even after I read online about them.**

**Prologue: It Begins Anew**

Lodged between a pair of mountains in Angel Grove, the Command Center lies in ruins, thanks to an attack led by the space pirate Divatox. In almost fifteen years, the structure has been left undisturbed, serving as mainly a memorial for the creator of the Power Rangers, Zordon. Once a powerful wizard, the might being was trapped in a tube by the witch Rita Repulsa, but Zordon was able to create the Power Rangers. Starting with five power coins, he was able to recruit teens with attitude, who would become the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. It would soon be six, with members leaving and returning. Over time, these rangers were able to become part of new teams until Zordon's Originals retired to let new Rangers arrive.

In 1999, Zordon left the planet Earth to return to his home world, Eltar, to lead the fight against the Alliance of Evil, but he unfortunately was captured. Dark Specter, the leader of the Alliance, was draining his powers to take over the galaxy once and for all, but it was thanks to the efforts of the Red Astro Ranger, It wasn't without a price, however, as Zordon had Andros destroy his energy tube to wipe out the evil present at the time. Remorsefully, Andros did as Zordon asked, and the war ended. Peace supposedly would last.

Of course, evil never rests. New evils would continue to arise in their efforts to do what their predecessors couldn't, yet new teams of Rangers would arise as well to combat them. There were instances of a team of Rangers to work with the preceding team to combat combined evils. There was even one occurrence of a Power Ranger team receiving the aid of five prior Rangers and one team receiving the aid and mentorship of a legendary Ranger. In any case, all of the Ranger teams would prevail.

In this upcoming situation, however, an unimaginable evil would be faced by the Power Rangers, past and present. None of their enemies combined would be this dangerous, and it would even lead to acts of betrayal from arguably the most important Rangers in history. Relationships tested, friendships lost, already some have been stung by betrayal and took their families away from the traitors to start anew. None of that, however, would compare to something from Zordon's past reemerging and the creation of a deadly warrior that would be the complete opposite of what the Rangers stand for.

We return to the Command Center, where underneath the ruins, there were still some functioning systems, albeit weak. It looked as if no one could have possibly entered this building, except there was someone, or something, walking amongst the wreckage. In fact, there was a group of them inside the command center.

A squad of armored robotic looking soldiers was rummaging through what was left of the Command Center, searching for something that the previous Rangers may have never found. Amongst the soldiers was a tall, dark armored looking figure. An athletic figure that was covered by simple Middle Age looking armor, with the main intimidation coming from a helmet that was elongated with apparently no openings for breathing or seeing. Yet, this figure was obviously the leader of the group, for it also carried with itself an aura of fear and power, and in between his hands was a broadsword, staked into the ground. Coming to the side of it was another figure, this one a bulkier version of the first one with armor that resembled samurai armor. It approached the first figure warily.

"Shogun Commander Seppukai", the first figure said, "Status report."

"We actually found Titanus, the Ultrazord", replied the samurai Seppukai, "As well as the tortoise zord known as Torus. We even managed to find remains of the Zeo Zords and carriers that were damaged from the explosion."

"While admirable finds, Shogun", Corvo said, "You know exactly why we are here now."

"Yes General," Seppukai said, "Unfortunately, we have not found the information we seek. I have to grudgingly admit that Divatox made sure the Command Center was, at the very least, thoroughly damaged."

"Unfortunately", said the figure known as Corvo, "She actually succeeded in that. Amazing how the first enemies of the Power Rangers were absolute rubbish. Any successes were few and far in between. Truly bumbling fools."

"Even Darkonda to a certain extent", added Seppukai, "And he was rather devious compared to the others. Still, General, I don't like it, who knows if any of them are still around, considering Zedd and Rita's son appeared fairly recently."

"Do not concern yourself with those fools", Corvo replied, "They are weak compared to us. Our main concern right now is obtaining the lost research on Zordon's, how do Earthlings say it?"

"Dirty little secret, sir", replied Seppukai, "Amazing what the Rangers would feel like once they find out about their mentor's dark secret."

"Indeed", chuckled Corvo, "For now, though we must find it to advance our little project."

"We did manage to obtain undamaged files", Seppukai said, "Though I am uncertain how much can be recovered by our technical experts in order to advance the Chimeran Project. That doesn't consider the fact that Zordon could have taken the plans with him to Eltar, though Dark Specter would have gotten wind of it. It is vital to the master's plans, but recent interference has made it even more difficult I'm afraid."

The General hmmed, understanding the situation at hand. "The master will not be pleased, Shogun. However, we can have our little fun. Several Rangers have already experienced that."

"Yes", said the Shogun, "Unfortunately."

"Don't tell me you're feeling sorry for her", said Corvo, "She had it coming. She married that Red Ranger and now paid for his actions. She had her daughter taken away thanks to her loving ex-husband's, Greyson, inattentiveness. Why, he's right now rotting in a human jail cell, after his side projects were revealed."

"Permission to speak freely, sir", Seppukai said. At Corvo's nod, he continued. "I don't like this at all. Yes, the Pink Lightspeed Ranger left her home city after learning of her former husband's betrayal but she is now searching for her missing daughter. Her brother has issues of her own but is helping as well. Granted, the Lightspeed Team is now disgraced after their leader's betrayal was revealed."

"Ahhh, the sweetest victory yet", Corvo lovingly said, "Yes, planting evidence of Greyson's betrayal and practically kidnapping his daughter right in front of him was rather distasteful to you, Seppukai, but actually revealing his adulterous ways was even sweeter, thanks to our little spy. Not to mention, the Pink Ranger has lost all respect for her former husband and feels like a fool for marrying him. Even the other Rangers shunned him after his actions were revealed and unfortunately, Captain Mitchell wouldn't be able to personally relieve his son-in-law's morpher since he was murdered by said son-in-law."

"Of course General", Seppukai continued, "But it's nothing compared to Katherine Hillard's situation. She has been beyond disgraced, even worse than Greyson. I just rather wish that the plans we enacted for Tommy Oliver would have been used more often."

"An even sweeter victory", Corvo laughed, "Even I was surprised by your actions, but it was certainly beautiful work. Tommy Oliver was even more disgraced, removing him from the equation for the foreseeable future. But why the sudden reminiscence, Seppukai, do not tell me you're having a change of heart?"

"It isn't that sir", Seppukai responded, "It's just that Dr. Mitchell is now working with the person who has been a thorn in our master's sides for months. For all intents and purposes, married to him and receiving help from other sources including Rangers. We may have gotten rid of the Red Lightspeed Ranger, as well as the second Pink Ranger and the greatest Ranger in Oliver. I'm just concerned that they might be on to us soon."

"Yes we have attacked them randomly", said Corvo, "But do not worry, Shogun. We must continue to throw them off guard. It is essential to distract them and when we do give hints of our arrival, it will be far too late. The previous enemies of the Rangers were neither cunning nor powerful enough to attack the Rangers like we have. Our master's plans were spot on. Yes, even I questioned the motives behind such random attacks, but now I realize. Attacking all of the Red Rangers would have certainly drawn attention, and if we attacked another group of rangers by color, it would have been next more scrutinized. Attacking at least one Ranger from each team was the best, and what results we have."

Seppukai nodded and continued speaking. "True that we got rid of Greyson and had the good doctor divorce he for his role in her daughter's disappearance, but the entire Lightspeed team's shunning of him was only the tip of the iceberg. Now he is recently released and struggling. It was genius to have Katherine Hillard seen as a home wrecker, especially her history with the original Ranger teams. Destroying the confidence in Tommy Oliver after his questionable behavior was notable and fractured the teams he was on. His wife didn't leave him unfortunately, to further weaken the Rangers' resolve."

"We take our victories where we can", Corvo said, "Besides, his little birdie already made the mistake once of leaving him. And do not forget the first Yellow Ranger's 'little accident'. What a start it was. That doesn't even include the other Ranger teams."

"I would have liked to face that Yellow Ranger in battle", said Seppukai, "A worthy opponent she was."

"You'll have that soon, Shogun Commander", Corvo said, "We all will and they will face nothing like they ever have before."

Suddenly, a soldier walked up to them, signaling in unintelligible language about something found. Corvo then lifted his sword up as if in triumph.

"We perhaps have made a breakthrough, Seppukai", Corvo said, "Lead us, soldier".

The two generals followed the soldier into a hallway, where it led to the zords hangar. The majority of the zords were either destroyed or off-line for an indefinite amount of time. In the center of the hangar, a group of soldiers were digging with metal tools. As soon as the two generals approached them, they saw the soldiers haul up a metal box of some kind, with a strange codex on top. Corvo approached the box in a wary manner.

"Is this what we have been searching for, General Corvo?" asked Seppukai while examining the box himself.

Corvo didn't respond, only walking around the box in interest. It was a cube shaped box, not particularly big enough to hold a great deal of things but certainly for perhaps essential files. It was for a few moments until Corvo turned to face Seppukai.

"I do not think so", Corvo replied, "I was thinking it would be a computer disc Zordon buried. A box may contain the plans we need to take the project to the next step, but we need to open it. There is a code of course, and I believe I know what it is."

Corvo knelt down and punched in the codex's password, which was made up of letters that Corvo used to enter the password. Corvoe spelled out F-A-L-C-O-N, and a hissing sound was heard.

"Too simple", Seppukai commented, "I would think it would have been Eltar or Earth."

"True", said Corvo, "But that is not to say that Zordon was not being too predictable."

Corvo had two of the soldiers remove the lid and the two generals peered inside. What they found were paper documents rolled up and placed in to tubes of some kind. In addition, there were some discs that must contain recordings or information of some kind. To the generals, their disappointment was hidden behind their helmets.

"A dead end", Seppukai asked, "I was certainly expecting a bit more than this."

"We shall take this back, anyway", Corvo added, "Who knows? Maybe there is something on these documents that we can use for the project. Perhaps even within this box."

While the squad was examining their find, they were unknowingly watched by a mysterious person. The person was hiding within the shadows of the hangar, high above the 'intruders'. The person was obviously very tall, but the cloak did not reveal much else. All the person did was lie within the shadows and observe what these beings were searching for. Subtly, the person recorded the events with a device of some kind while keeping an eye out for possible attackers.

Corvo, meanwhile, stood. "Grievers, seal this box. It seems that we have scoured this place enough, have we?"

"The Grivers say they have", Seppukai responded, "Even searching for hidden rooms, where we found the site of the White Ranger's creation, but other than that and the zords, nothing."

Corvo turned to the Shogun and the foot soldiers. "While certainly better than nothing, our master wishes to find the files that Zordon possessed that will allow us to not only create his own ruthless version of the Rangers, but also create his vast army. The zords can be useful, but it is not worth anything without Zordon's secret plans. They will not only allow us to create even more powerful monsters, but also empower our master to even greater heights. We will then join with those who wish to see this planet ruled over and eliminate all threats to our power base throughout the galaxy. After the Rangers, we shall eliminate 'other' fools seeking to stand in our way."

"Indeed General", Seppukai said, "The prototype morpher is a remarkable success. Our subject is truly a surprise. Soon, he will have even more power, where only our master is more powerful. Those plans will see to that. Those foolish humans will not know what hit them. They should have never even opened the gate, but then again, they're like their ancestors. And even their counterparts are miniscule to us."

"Patience, Shogun," Corvo said, "We shall eliminate them soon. It's only a matter of time, which would have been the case had Earthlings not been attacked by those lords. Still, it's considered a-"

Suddenly, Corvo was tightly gripping his broadsword as if preparing for an attack. The soldiers were all standing around, confused as to the general's behavior.

"General?" Seppukai asked, "What is it?"

"I believe", said Corvo, "We are forgetting something. Or _someone_."

Just as sudden, Corvo swung his body and launched an energy blade attack of some sort at the metal railings. A bright explosion occurred and the rest of the squadron ducked and quickly stood to attack. The Shogun warrior unsheathed a massive katana sword and took a fighting stance, while the Hematites raised either dagger looking pistols or scythes.

"Soldiers protect the box", Seppukai said and ten foot soldiers immediately surrounded the box while the rest stood for attack.

"Who is here?" asked Corvo, "Show yourself."

All was quiet for a few moments. The two generals knew there was an attacker, while the soldiers stood in confusion. Then, one soldier was knocked down. A second was blasted, and another, and then another. Some of the soldiers were instantly preparing to fire their pistols until Corvo stood them down. The squad tensed for a few moments until Corvo spun his mighty broadsword, along with his body, towards his six o-clock and actually struck a piece of cloth. The cloth was part of a cloak belonging to the spy who kept an eye on the mysterious soldiers. The spy was obviously in an invisible state and was attempting to avoid the two generals and moved towards the mysterious box until Corvo put a stop to that.

Instantly, Corvo swung his broadsword again at the stranger. The stranger ducked and immediately went on the defensive. The stranger made a ducking roll move and was immediately accosted by Hematite soldiers. The ones with scythes took quick swings at the stranger while the pistol wielders fired their weapons. Immediately, the stranger was able to avoid the energy bullets fired from the pistols and avoid the scythes with extreme precision in almost a t'ai chi like movement. A few soldiers were instantly hit by their own squad mates' pistols, and the spy used a scythe to cut in half several more Hematite soldiers. More of the soldiers rushed in but were immediately dispatched.

Suddenly, the Shogun warrior made a lunging jab at the spy with his katana. The spy was able to avoid the sword by bending backwards, but barely. As a result, the cloak was damaged and the spy could only roll out of the shogun's range and ditch the cloak. This action revealed a woman with shoulder-length brown hair, chestnut eyes, a heart-shaped face, and a body that is athletic. She immediately stood up and took a fighting stance, bringing out a pair of sais. Corvo and Seppukai immediately surrounded her with more Hematite soldiers.

"Well, well", Corvo commented, "If it isn't Alma Heiden, the thief who joined the side of justice. What an honor."

"Charmed", the woman Alma said in an Australian accent, "But that won't get you anywhere. I just happened to be wandering around the area and hoping to see the sights."

"Really?" Seppukai skeptically asked, "As if you didn't happen to be hiding within the Command Center and spy on us, my dear?"

Alma raised an eyebrow. "Not like I didn't know what you boys were doing."

"And like we know who you work for", Corvo added, "Well, consider this your last assignment, thief. Hematites, attack!"

Immediately the soldiers charged at the woman, only for the woman to suddenly phase out, and avoid the impending collision. Several soldiers immediately tumbled into a heap and several more were dispatched by the female thief with practiced ease. The woman immediately came back into view and the soldiers were all defeated. Unfortunately, the two generals were still standing.

Seppukai charged and attempted to stab Alma with a forward lunge but she ducked. Alma then attempted to stab Seppukai with her sais using an uppercut motion but the shogun was able to move back, but barely, to avoid the blows. Corvo then charged from behind Alma and swung his broadsword in a semicircle motion to slice her in half. Alma wouldn't stand a chance against the giant sword with her sais. Just as Alma was going to be cleaved, a clanging sound was heard. Something blocked Corvo's attempted death blow, and block was used to reflect the force back at Corvo. The general was thrown off balanced and staggered back. Once he regained his footing, he raised his sword in anticipation.

"Who goes there?" Corvo asked indignantly.

A shimmering occurred in front of Corvo, and another human appeared. This time, this was a male who stood about 5'10, but had dark skin. He is of Saudi Arabian descent, with an athletic body that is both lean and powerful. In one hand is a wooden staff with a ruby gemstone on top and his clothing is indicative of a sheik like position. The man then stood back to back with Alma to watch her blind side.

"About time you showed up", Alma said, "Didn't know how much longer I'd last against these two."

"Don't sell yourself short", said the man, "You would have charmed your way out."

"Ahmad Hosseini", Corvo drawled, "The man of mystery. It would be a pleasure and an honor to eliminate a powerful wizard such as you."

"Flattered Corvo", the man named Ahmad said, "But today is not that day."

"We shall see then", Corvo said, "Hematites, attack!"

Suddenly, more foot soldiers appeared and instantly surrounded the two spies. Soon after, a few of the soldiers started the attack on the two humans, who immediately dispatched them. It didn't take long, however, for more of the soldiers to attack, forcing the two humans to be on the defensive. The numbers were in favor of the squad, but the humans held their own. When the two generals got involved, however, the odds turned against them.

Seppukai was facing off against Alma, who was trying to use speed and her camouflage abilities against the larger and more powerful shogun. Unfortunately for her, Seppukai was one step ahead of her, knowing the location of her parries and strikes, forcing her to be on the defensive. She even used some of the electronics and equipment within the Command Center to channel her technomagical powers but the Shogun was able to counterattack with ease, even with more of the soldiers being dispatched. Ahmad wasn't faring much better, as Corvo was swinging his might sword with surprising ease, making Ahmad duck and roll out of harm's way. His staff, while fairly durable, would be shattered against the general's broadsword in only a few strikes. This forced Ahmad to use his wizard abilities.

"_Sultan's Law_", Ahmad intoned, "_Scimitar Strike_."

The man struck his staff into the ground, where the earth shook for a moment. Suddenly, the ground cracked and a scimitar sword made out of rock rose. Ahmad then used his staff to direct the attack, which took out the rest of the soldiers. Corvo, however, dodged and blocked the attack with ease. He then actually swung his broadsword like a slingshot, until he released it and struck the rock weapon, turning it into dust. A dust cloud formed around Ahmad, and he was instantly on guard, raising his staff to defend against possible attack. Suddenly, Ahmad felt a sharp pain in his back. He turned but got another painful blow instead. Corvo used his giant broadsword to land the blows on Ahmad. Fortunately, Ahmad wore special armor but it still hurt like hell. Ahmad staggered a bit but regained his balance.

"Already you're tiring," Corvo growled, "How disappointing. I expected more from a powerful wizard such as you. One would think it was a fluke how powerful magical beings were outclassed by you."

"I'll take that as a compliment", Ahmad growled out. He instantly twirled his staff and launched a lightning attack at Corvo. The general blocked with his sword and launched it back at Ahmad. He ducked and rolled, standing up just as Alma back flipped away from an attack by Seppukai. The two spies were standing side by side, only to be surrounded by more Hematite soldiers.

"Wonder where these guys come from", Alma commented, "They pop out of nowhere."

"That's not our main concern right now, Alma", Ahmad said, "We need to get that box."

"Not going to happen", Seppukai said, "It's ours now and the master will use it to consolidate his power even more."

"With that Chimera project you guys yapped about earlier?" Alma asked, "Yeah, I'm sure that'll turn out great."

"Oh you have no idea my dear", Corvo condescendingly said, "Zordon may have been all about responsibility with power and the good of all, but he was really no saint."

"No one is", Ahmad said, "From what I understand, Zordon always was a mentor."

"And how do you think he became one?" Seppukai said, "If only you knew what he really was like before coming to this planet. Before he became the great creator of the Power Rangers, he was even less honorable than the humans he strove to protect and the ones he chose to be his Rangers. Not even his enemies knew his past."

"You really think that the past matters now?" Alma asked, "The guy is dead and it's not like anyone can ask him to give an autobiography."

Corvo then let out a deep laugh, unnerving the two warriors. "Oh my dear, that is why the Chimera Project is so important. It really ties into his past and it is one he would like to forget and attempted to."

Alma crooked an eyebrow. "Really and that is supposed to mean something big?"

"You have no idea", Corvo said, "But enough of this chatter. Hematites, a-"

Suddenly, Corvo stopped and the Hematites stopped to await his orders. Corvo was in some sort of trance, and Alma and Ahmad were wearily standing guard in case of attack. In a few seconds, Corvo shifted position. The two spying warriors were prepared for a fight, but Corvo surprised them by sheathing his broadsword.

"The master has contacted me", Corvo said, "It seems you two got lucky this time but you won't be the next. All units return to base with the information we retrieved. Seppukai, have the box removed and let us be on our way."

"At once General Corvo", Seppukai said, 'You heard him. Move out."

The Hematites were moving as soon as they received their orders. Meanwhile, Alma and Ahmad were prepared to move. That is, until Seppukai threw some sort of paper prayer enchantments at them. The seemingly harmless paper objects actually grew and wrapped the two up like mummies. The two warriors lost their balance and fell to the ground.

"Consider this your last reprieve from us", said Seppukai, "For as General Corvo said, the next time we meet, you will not get one again."

"At least give us a challenge next time", Corvo said, "At least one that shows us the reputations that you both earned."

At that, the soldiers disappeared and the two generals did as well. The two tied up warriors struggled against their binds for a moment, until Ahmad managed to use his magic to free himself of Seppukai's binds and then freed Alma.

"Not exactly how I planned for this", Alma said, "These guys were a rough crowd."

"Indeed", Ahmad said, "Though I believe they have not yet showed us everything. We only got a sample of it."

"Great", Alma groaned out, "What a joy to now that."

"We need to return to headquarters", Ahmad said, "I'm afraid to know what they have in mind next. They took the Zords that weren't destroyed as well as the files."

"Thankfully I got the latter", Alma said as she brought out a flash drive, "Good thing I at least copied those files and left them the originals. Couldn't leave empty-handed, now could I? Thank goodness that we have flash drives that can download alien info."

Ahmad nodded in agreement. "Hopefully we'll know more about this Chimera Project. It certainly ties into Zordon. I fear that we're going to be in for a tough battle."

Alma put the drive back into her pockets. "No", Alma said, "Not a battle. If anything, those guys may work for a boss, but the boss is at least working with some other tough guys. We're going to be in for a war."

Ahmad grimly nodded in agreement and with that, the two warriors phased out of the Command Center. The previous event only was a taste of what was to come and lives will be ruined for the sake of a dangerous being's agenda and worlds will collide to be part of a greater war than anyone could have imagined. It shall start with a beast's awakening and end with a vicious roar.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Don't own Power Rangers at all, which is why this attempt at fanfiction will try to close up the holes in some plot holes people found.**

**Caution: Slight swearing for now.**

**A/N: I just can't bring myself to focus on things after Dino Thunder. I only remember bits and pieces of MMPR up to Dino Thunder but I do know important things like the team-ups, the Ninja seasons, Space adventures, Lost Galaxy through Dino Thunder. I can recall as much as I can from those shows but honestly, no point in going beyond if I didn't watch much after Dino Thunder. It got annoying in a sense and I would really tick people off if I wrote characters from things like Operation Overdrive, Mystic Force and Samurai as OOC, which I'm okay with but really only if I'm familiar with shows/movies in general. If anybody wants to help with the characters after Dino Thunder, be my guest for I am really unable to properly flesh out characters after Dino Thunder. In addition, my fight scenes stunk I'm certain of, so if anyone can help great, otherwise it'll be more drama than action. Also, this will be set in the real world with real people, but it's only passing for now. We'll see how that goes.**

**Chapter 1: The Fall of the Greatest**

In a small wooden house in a forest in Reefside, a family is taking shelter in what has been their home for almost a decade. From the outside, all looked peaceful. Inside, however, was vastly different. There were the usual things like living room furniture, bedrooms, kitchen and a basement that was the base of operations for the Dino Thunder Rangers. Beyond the physical appearance, however, was the heavy emotional tension that dragged the mood of the house's occupants down.

Sitting at a table was a handsome looking man in his forties, with short cropped black hair, wearing all black clothing. He looked like going to somebody's funeral, and in a sense, he was. The man is Dr. Tommy Oliver, former Green Mighty Morphin, White Mighty Morphin, Red Zeo, Red Turbo and Black Dino Thunder Power Ranger. Hailed as the greatest Power Ranger in history, Tommy knew what it was like to be a leader after his original Green Ranger powers dissipated. He thought he knew what it was all like, to know what to go through as both a Ranger and a civilian. He experienced the loss of both his powers and love, but he also experienced the joy of victory and mentorship. When he gave up the power years before, he thought he was done, but even being a paleontologist seemed to be a step towards being a Power Ranger once again, only to have the dual role of mentor and active Ranger. After defeating Mesogog, it would all seem to be peace and quiet.

In truth, that wasn't the case. Only a couple years after his last stint ended, Tommy met his first love again, Kimberly Hart, the first Pink Ranger. They broke up through, of all things, a letter, but they managed to reconnect and married. It was a celebration for all Rangers, for they were the original Power Couple. They obviously had their ups and downs when it came to their relationship, but it was nothing compared to the feeling of loss they had before their reunion. It seemed like they went through a high school phase and fully realized their true love once they reunited. After marriage, they finally began to have the family many could only dream of. Now, instead, they were going through a nightmare.

As Dr. Oliver was sitting forlornly at the table, his wife, Kimberly Hart-Oliver, sat down next to him and held his hand. Tommy instantly flinched, feeling like he was being burned. Kim was hurt, but she knew that he was taking the events seriously, and she couldn't blame him for what happened. She knew what Tommy was like and knew that he could never be what he was accused of. Tommy turned to look at her, and what she saw broke her heart. Gone was the strong, brave and caring man who would fight for his loved ones. Instead, his face looked like it was weathered by a great pain, and he was barely holding back the tears. Kim also cried for him, and she instantly hugged him. She cried into his shoulder and Tommy couldn't help but hold her tightly, afraid that she would suddenly disappear.

"It'll be okay, handsome", Kim said, "It'll all be okay."

"I'm so sorry, beautiful", Tommy cooed as he hugged her, "I'm so-"

"Shut up", Kim said through cries, "Just shut up. You don't get to apologize, because there's nothing to apologize for. You know who you are and I know who you are. What are you apologizing for? You didn't do anything wrong."

"I know", Tommy said, "But so many people think I did. And I know I didn't do it."

Kim looked at Tommy defiantly. "Then why do you feel guilty? You're not. You'll prove it and I'll be beside you, helping you to clear your name."

"I do appreciate that", Tommy gently said, "Anton, Eileen, Haley, everyone knows I didn't do anything wrong yet you're all going to suffer for what I'm being accused of."

"Tommy stop," Kim said, "You're not going to go there. I know you feel guilty but it's not your fault. Do you understand me? It's. Not. Your. Fault."

Kim emphasized every word of that last sentence with her finger jabbing Tommy in the arm. In spite of everything that's happened, Kim knew that Tommy was innocent but his guilt would override anything else if he truly felt that there was something he could've done to prevent it. In truth, he could have but no one could have predicted that someone would throw criminal allegations against him. All Tommy did was report an incident to the principal, Elsa Mercer, and the administrators had the incident investigated. It should've been the end of it. Instead, Tommy has now lost his teaching job and almost all of Reefside have turned against him. Kim has been the target of bad gossip and her marriage to Tommy has been put under the microscope by people who were acting either irrational or just plain stupid, which both categories were usually combined. For their children's sake, they were being taken care of by their closest friends, who all have stood by Tommy.

When the news first broke out, everyone was obviously shocked. Tommy was, and still is, the last person expected to commit a horrible crime, especially involving students. The Dino Thunder Rangers immediately stood by Dr. O, and Anton refused to believe that Tommy was guilty of such a crime when Tommy's belief in doing the right thing is strong. Eileen was devastated to have to inform Tommy of the loss of his position, but Tommy didn't blame her, knowing that she had no choice in that matter. Haley, Kim thought, was a godsend when Tommy and Kim had to hide from the intense scrutiny. Some of the patrons at the Cyber Café were overall cold, but Haley brought them both to the Café's back room, and would go out with them when she closed for the day. Haley, however, gave everyone a serious stare, letting them know that she won't tolerate any kind of disrespectful behavior towards people who weren't even criminals, especially when Tommy wasn't given a chance to defend himself. Most of the patrons softened their stance, but there were still those who questioned what happened.

The news of the allegations shook beyond Reefside. All areas that had Power Ranger teams were stunned, and the teams Tommy and Kim were on immediately offered their support. Even the teams that followed Tommy's departure gave their support, though some Rangers were nowhere in sight due to various reasons.

For example, Carter Grayson was for all intents and purposes ignored by the other Rangers, and Tommy himself said he couldn't believe that Carter would betray everyone the way he did and allow harm come to those closest to him, especially with his character. This added on to Carter's court martial and imprisonment. Dr. Dana Mitchell was devastated beyond belief. Everyone blamed her for not suspecting Carter of his indiscretions began to mount, but didn't hold against her Carter's actions that led to the disappearance of her daughter. Tommy himself destroyed Carter's morpher after Jason removed it, and there was currently no Red Ranger for Lightspeed.

Dana divorced Carter and left Mariner Bay to start anew, but she still grieved for the child she lost due to Carter's crimes. Kim kept in contact with her, and most of the other Pink Rangers attempted to console her and help search for her daughter. Tommy, however, felt ashamed because he thought Carter was the most loyal of anyone. Even Wes and Cole turned Carter away when he tried to talk to Dana as she stayed with the Collins and Myers families, who offered their support. Taylor especially dished out one of her patented gut punches to Carter when he was getting too close. She especially led the search for Dana's missing child, along with Ryan and Kelsey, but even today there was still nothing to go on. Tommy and the other Ranger teams tried to help Lightspeed Rescue, but the damage was done. Tommy and Kim allowed Dana to stay with them for a short time, but haven't kept in touch with her much since she moved to the East Coast. Only her brother Ryan and sister-in-law, Kelsey, kept in touch with her and they all moved with her to help her cope.

As previously mentioned, most of the Pink Rangers, as well as the other female Rangers, helped Dana cope after Carter's trial but Katherine Hillard wasn't amongst them, which was odd to all of her former teammates. Even her closest friend, Tanya Sloan Park, couldn't explain it. Tommy used to date Kat after Kim sent the letter, but Kat was nowhere to be found when this whole mess started. She was briefly present for everyone with Dana's pain, but outside of that, nothing. She was even present at one of the Ranger's funeral, which was a truly sad day for everyone. In fact, it could be considered a precursor to the mess the Rangers find themselves in now.

In present time, Tommy and Kim were huddling together on the couch. Tommy led Kim by her hand from the kitchen to the living room, where they tried to distract themselves with some TV, but found nothing to truly hold their attention. Their musings were interrupted when they heard a knock on the door. Tommy stood up and Kim was behind him.

"Kim stay back", Tommy said, "Just to make sure you have a chance to get away if something goes wrong."

Kim nodded, understanding that people might do something to harm either of them or their children. Kim hated it but she knew that she couldn't let any of her children get hurt. Tommy walked up to the front door.

"Who is it?" Tommy asked.

"It's me Dr. O", a voice said, "And some of our teammates."

Tommy opened the door and saw the Dino Thunder Rangers. Connor was on Kira's right while Ethan was on her left, and Haley was standing right beyond her. Just in front of Kira was Eileen Mercer, with Trent next to Ethan and Anton Mercer next to Conner. Tommy let out a sigh of relief.

"Guys you shouldn't have come", Tommy said, "It's risky for you."

"Says you, doc", Conner blurted, "We know you shouldn't be treated like this. You're not what they say you are. We were a team before and we are now."

"Conner's right", Kira added, "We know who you really are and you really were doing the right thing. It's just someone was perverted enough to screw you like this."

Tommy faintly smiled, and he moved to the side to let them in. "I wonder how you guys were able to get to my house without trouble."

"We have ways," Haley replied, "So don't you worry."

"Tommy?" Kim asked from the living room, "Is it who I think it is?"

"It is," Tommy replied, "They're coming in."

The team moved inside and Kim came out of the living room. Immediately, Kira, Haley and Eileen went to hug Kim. As best as she could, Kim put her arms around the three women who did the best they could to help the Olivers out. As everyone was getting settled, the group moved into the living room. The women were all sitting on the couch while the guys were either sitting in chairs or on the floor, Tommy sitting in the lounge chair.

"Anyone like to have anything?" Kim asked, "Water?"

Everyone said no. "That's alright Kim", Haley said, "I couldn't keep anything down with the way things are going. We're trying our damndest to clear Tommy."

"You didn't need to do this", Tommy said, "You have your own lives."

"Tommy", Anton spoke, "We're doing because we want to. I've already got lawyers to work on clearing your name. We're all playing roles in getting your lives back."

"Even Cassidy and Devin are helping", Trent said, "With Ethan and I helping out, we're able to find evidence to support you."

"Not to mention", Ethan interjected, "Billy Cranston is giving us some cover in the tech department. PR wise, you have to talk with some of the other Rangers."

Tommy gave everyone a faint smile, glad to know that even given what has happened lately, the Rangers are still able to come together to help one another. Kim was ecstatic. To her, any bit of good news is a step towards getting Tommy cleared. But she still had some questions though.

"What about that Mikhail Anderson?" Kim asked, "Is there anything more you know about him? or Hannah Skalara?"

At that, everyone became downcast. Those were the names of the two people who started this mess in the first place.

"That's the weird thing", Eileen said for the first time, "When I got the files on the both of them, there really isn't much to go on. Even Haley and Ethan had trouble finding information on them."

"You guys are sure?" Kim asked doubtfully, "They really don't have anything new?"

"Mrs. O", Ethan said, "Please believe us when we say that we have tried to look everywhere, and I mean everywhere. There isn't anything on them, like as if they just dropped out of the sky."

"I didn't mean anything Ethan", Kim quickly said, "I know you guys are helping and it's great, but it's just I thought you guys were able to find something by now. I just want everything to go away."

"We're trying Kim", Haley said putting an arm around her, "We know you want this over with. All of us do, it's just that you're going to have to be patient. Ethan and I did try to search databases, even trying to get through firewalls and we actually got hit by a virus we had to contain before anything got infected and hit us hard."

At that, Tommy nearly rocketed out of his chair.

"What?" Tommy asked, "You guys were trying to hack into databases? And you nearly got caught?"

"It isn't getting caught the issue Tommy", Haley said, "We took every precaution and then some to make sure nothing's been taken. Eileen's right though. There isn't anything on them. Besides work history and all that, there's nothing to suggest otherwise. We're totally stumped."

Tommy lay back in his chair, depressed. He was getting past his breaking point, and he didn't know how much longer he could take. In no way could anyone tell him that he would be at the center of a school scandal at this moment in time, and yet here he was. Tommy was not only facing a trial, but also life behind bars. And Tommy knew, that, even as a Ranger, prison for people sentenced for crimes he is being accused of don't really last too long.

Sensing her husband's discomfort, Kim walked up from the couch she was on and sat on Tommy's lap. Tommy held her as if she would suddenly disappear from his life again.

"I really am sorry you guys", Tommy said, "I-"

"Stop Dr. O", Kira said, "Just stop. Don't blame yourself. No one's blaming you. If anything, blame those people who started it in the first place. We all are going to help you however we can. Besides, I really like having the little tykes around my place in LA, and it really helps when Conner's around when I go to the recording studio."

"We're glad you enjoy it Kira", Kim softly said, "Maybe one day you'll have one of your own."

"After I get everything going", Kira said, "Not rushing right now."

"Why don't we keep the positive talk going", Eileen suggested, "Kira's moving things along with her music career, as we know."

"You're third album reached the top of the Billboard charts", Trent said, "About time too. The first couple of albums could've gotten you there as well."

Kira waved Trent's comments off. "That's ok. I'm just glad they were successful enough to give me good starts. Plus, getting to do duets with some of the biggest names in music helps."

"Yeah, if you count country as one", Conner mumbled.

Everyone laughed at Conner's comment, though Kira was glaring at him. "Really, Conner, I'll have you know that a lot of the biggest country stars liked working with me and I with them. I mean, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert? Hello, like awesome."

"Yeah Conner", Ethan said, "Thought you'd like to get to _know_them."

"Country music isn't really my thing," Conner said, "Besides I don't really use music for my soccer practice."

"Not even when you were a star college athlete?" Ethan questioned, "Bit surprising when you became a campus big man and joined a pro team."

"Yeah, you were praised by the pro scouts for your 'work ethic'", Trent commented with air quotes at the end. The group laughed, remembering what Conner was like early on in his Ranger days as rather lackadaisical towards training.

"Ha ha", Conner said, "Laugh it up guys. Laugh it up."

"What about your computer career, Ethan?" Kim asked.

At the question, Ethan puffed himself up.

"Uh oh", Hailey said, "Here we go."

"I've been recruited by Fortune 500 tech companies", Ethan in a sing song voice said, "So many to choose from, so little time."

Conner rolled his eyes at Ethan's moment. "Dude, seriously. You're like in nerdvana and you can't even pick one."

"It's not just picking a company Conner", Ethan said, "These guys are frontline companies. Heck, even the FBI wants me on board."

At that, even Conner couldn't stop to gape at that. "Whoa dude", Conner gasped, "The FBI? I mean, CIA for sure considering your geek skills, but why the Feds?"

"Cyber security, homeland defense, that sort of thing", Ethan said, "Like I said, a lot to choose from."

"You definitely have a choice to make," Kim said, "But you definitely have options to think about. What about you Trent?"

"Nothing really," Trent replied, "I mean, I've been working for marketing companies and anything art-related. I even got called in to help identify art forgeries."

"Art forgery?" Tommy asked, "But you didn't focus on art, right? I mean comic books were your thing."

"Well it's more about grading editions", Trent replied, "But I also got to dabble a bit in high end art galleries, and got to say, never have I been in so stuffy a room before."

Everyone chuckled at that. "Well, I would've taken offense usually", Anton said, "But I do admit that things are stuffy when you're in a high end gallery."

"As long as everyone's doing well, no complaints", Eileen said, "Have you guys contacted the other Rangers lately?"

At that, Tommy and Kim looked at one another. At Kim's nod, Tommy responded. "No, actually, things have been just crazy. I mean, we just saw Dana get married to a new guy. Before that, she moved to the East Coast with her brother and sister-in-law to live with her new husband and work at a hospital. I forgot which one though, she did work at a military hospital in Colorado after they moved to stay with a cousin there."

"Glad she's getting her life back on track though", Hailey said, "You got to admit, the crap she was put through was tough on all of us"

"At least she's got a husband who at least won't hurt her willingly", Kim said, "Not to mention willing to help her find her missing daughter. I'm just glad Carter's out of our hair."

"I never thought any female Ranger would get that pissed off", Conner said, "Then again, a Red Ranger doing what he did."

"Let's not talk about that now", Tommy said, "What's done is done. At least it's not like Cassie's situation or even Billy. Have you guys talked to any of the other Rangers?"

"Cam's helping out", Hailey replied, "But like us, he's having trouble. Even with the best minds, it seems like those guys know what to cover."

"What about Kat?" Trent asked.

At that, Tommy and Kim instantly sobered. It was a subject that was really heated for all of the Rangers. Tommy's second girlfriend, Katherine Hillard went on to be a ballet teacher. Recently, however, her image took a beating and it forced her into hiding. Even Tommy and Kim had trouble keeping in touch with her and so far the only ones who knew where she currently is are Billy and Haley, the latter who refused to say where. It was such a scandal the Rangers thought it was worse than anything else they are going through now.

"No", Kim said, "We haven't even heard back from her. We don't even know her phone number."

"Billy won't tell us", Tommy added, "And neither would Haley."

At that, the Dino Rangers turned to Haley in surprise and confusion. Haley raised her hands in defense.

"Hold on guys", Haley evenly said, "I'm not at liberty to say where she's at or what's going on with her nowadays. I made a promise to her, as did Billy. By the way, no one was more shocked than I was that she asked me to keep it in confidence."

"What the heck happened anyway?" Ethan asked, "It can't be any worse than what Dr. O and Dr. Mitchell have gone through."

"You don't want to know", Haley replied, "For now, trust me on that. It's better that way."

"Still, wouldn't all of the teams the Doc and his wife were on help out?" Conner asked.

Tommy sighed. "Yeah, we are. Problem is, our old teammates are having troubles of their own."

At that, a knock on the door was heard. Instantly, everyone was on high alert. So far, nobody has attempted to vandalize the Oliver home, but no one was willing to risk the chance that someone would personally harm any of the Oliver family. Tommy stood up first.

"Everyone stay back", Tommy said, "I'll go check."

"Ok Doc", Connor said.

As the team stayed behind and preparing for the worst case scenario, Tommy moved towards the door. The knocking started up again.

"Who is it?" Tommy asked.

"Three guesses", a voice said, "Two Amigos and two Senoritas."

A sudden smacking sound was heard. "OW! What the-?"

"Seriously, that's your answer?" a female voice said.

"And that was four guesses Aisha," another male said.

"Tommy it's us", a second female voice said.

Tommy let out a chuckle. He knew immediately who they were. He opened the door slowly, and saw two African American women, one a few inches shorter with long braided hair and dark brown eyes. The other had long curled dark hair and hazel eyes. Both wore some versions of clothing with the color yellow. With them were two men. One is a Korean American man with short cropped black hair, wearing a black sweater and a pair of jeans. The other men is Latino, a few inches taller than the Korean male but with sandy brown hair and wearing a red shirt to go with blue overalls.

"Really Rocko", Tommy said, "That was the sorriest excuse for an answer."

"You try to come up with one _Dr. O_", the Latino said, "You're the Ph. D guy."

"Rocky!" Aisha said incensed, "Honestly."

"Glad you guys are here", Tommy said grabbing the Korean man in a hug, "How's it going Adam?"

"I'll tell you inside", the man Adam said, "We're just glad to come."

"How's Kim?" the other African American girl said, "We wanted to know how she is."

"You can ask me Tanya", Kim said from behind, "I'd like to know."

"Kim!" Aisha shouted and she immediately ran to her.

The two friends held each other in tight embraces. Tanya also came to hug them, although at a slower pace. The three former female Rangers held each other warmly, all reveling in some much needed contact. The guys, meanwhile, were all high-fiving and bear hugging one another. After Tommy closed the door, the group went into the living room where the Dino Thunder team all reconnected. After greetings were done, the entire group sat down wherever available.

"Glad to see you guys", Kira said, "How's the fam, Adam?"

"Fine for now", Adam said, "Just hate telling our kids that nothing's wrong. Tanya and I really are at wits end."

"I actually held off my music career to stay home", Tanya said, "Just to make sure we're able to stand by to help."

"Tanya", Kim exclaimed, "you shouldn't have to. You all have your own lives. Besides, there are others who might need you more than we do."

"Stop it Kim," Adam said, "We're doing this and that's final, so don't bother. We made our decision and we're always going to help our friends."

"Easy Adam", Tanya said, "No one's questioning our support. It's just there are more of us who need that kind."

"Except for a couple", Rocky mumbled.

"Rocky!" Haley and Aisha yelled.

"Sorry but its true", Rocky said, "You know how bad things are for Jason? His family's a wreck and it hasn't been the same since, you know."

Everyone sobered immediately, knowing exactly what Rocky was talking about. Before Tommy and Kim got married, Jason did first and it was to an old teammate everyone knew well. Since her death, however, Jason struggles to hold on.

"How's he doing now?" Connor asked, "His kids?"

"Gone," Aisha said, "He moved his family to Los Angeles."

"What?" Tommy asked. Kim gasped as she raised a hand to her mouth. Last they heard they were still in Angel Grove.

"Just recently", Adam said, "He got a job with some law enforcement agency. Forgot what it was but I don't think he said."

"That's a shocker", Tommy said, "He was teaching part-time and worked in business."

"Guy just has trouble getting it together since then", Adam said, "I can't blame him but I wish he would let us in."

"Who'd thought the original Rangers would go through this much?" Trent asked, "Or any ranger for that matter?"

"It seems easy at first that we'd be indestructible", Connor replied, "Or even stay away from trouble after we're done as Rangers."

"Deep Connor", Ethan jokingly said, "Real deep."

"Thanks," Connor sarcastically said.

Haley then waved everyone off. "Look guys, all we can do is support one another during our troubles, whatever we can give while those in trouble try to get out of them."

Rocky snorted. "Guys like Traitor Grayson don't need our support even as he's busted out."

By the time Rocky realized his slip, all hell broke loose.

"What!?" everyone shouted. "When?" "How did he get out?"

"Rocky", Aisha shouted, "How did you know that even happened?"

"Sha," Rocky calmly said, "I heard from Eric that Grayson has been let out almost a year ago. I didn't want to say anything until most of us are together, but then Tommy's problem came up and I just thought of only helping him and Kim out. Besides, it's not like he can do anything right now."

Internally, Aisha was upset that her husband didn't say a word of it, yet at the same time she can understand why. Just a couple years before the original power couple reconnected, Rocky and Aisha both met up again after a reunion and haven't split since. She was his rock during tough times, especially with the devastation of his original color's honor. Not long after Tommy and Kim got married, she and Rocky also tied the knot. It was a beautiful wedding full of fun, where at least Dana showed up at some of the rangers' urging and even Kat showed up. That was one of the last times they would see Kat for an extended moment, for after that, she dropped off the face of the planet.

"I wondered what was bothering Taylor when we saw them," Aisha admitted, "Though I didn't care because I knew she didn't want to talk about it."

"When did you hear that, Rocky, and how exactly did you hear it?" asked Kim.

"It was a few months ago actually", Rocky said, "Aisha and I were in Stone Canyon when Eric and Taylor stopped by. Erci told me alone that Carter was released on parole after he got a commuted sentence due to him being undercover for the feds. Apparently, he wasn't as guilty as we thought, according to the government. Eric, though, told me he felt that Wes hated Carter getting off easy, especially when he hurt Dana and was the reason their kid's missing. He even told me that Wes smashed something at home and it shocked even his dad. It got so bad that Wes wanted to go to the hearing to speak against Carter."

"Who can blame him?" asked Connor, "The guy's a douche-"

"Connor!" Kira exclaimed, "You don't have say that."

"You know I should, babe," said Connor, "You know what that guy did. He betrayed more than his country. Heck, look at the world now."

"That's debatable", Adam said, "Humans can screw themselves no problem."

"But Wes is actually the calmer Red Ranger compared to Eric", Haley said, "How did Wes not go to the hearing?"

"Eric, ironic enough," Rocky replied, "Eric, though, wanted nothing to do with Grayson either. He hasn't even tried talking to Lightspeed, which is a bit extreme, considering it's not just one person hurt by Grayson's actions."

"Tori told me she talked to Joel", Adam said," Joel's devastated that Carter used his wife and Angela even more so when she was with Dana the day Carter allowed Maggie to go missing. She's even more upset that she found out about Carter's side work and couldn't even get Joel to believe her. The technology she created was stolen by Carter, which makes it even worse for her, though not as much as Carter's betrayal of his family."

"Chad has lost all respect for Carter", Tommy said, "And man, even Billy was upset. I never saw him like that. Carter admitting how he cheated on everyone, I'm surprised Ryan didn't punch his lights out."

"Someone else did", Kim said, "And thank goodness."

"So where's the now ex-Lightspeed Ranger?" Trent asked, "He's basically blacklisted."

"Don't know, don't care", Rocky said, "He disgraced his status as Red Ranger. I'm more concerned about the Mitchells and Kelsey."

"Don't bother", Kim said, "We don't need to have anymore drama, especially considering what they went through. They need the space away from all this."

"To add to one of Kim's earlier points, I actually found out that Dana's got a job at Columbia Presbyterian", Haley replied, "She's doing alright but she's still looking for her daughter. Ryan and Kelsey work in emergency responding for NYC."

"What about Kat?" Kim asked, "She hasn't called you back yet?"

The Parks and Desantos couples shook their heads no. Even Tanya didn't know where she went.

"I have a hard time Kat's considered a home wrecker", Tanya said, "It hurts badly. I can't believe it's been several months since…"

Tanya froze up, and Adam placed a hand on hers. Adam knew how close the two were, and it hurt him to her hurt. Adam, as well as everyone else, knew what Tanya was talking about.

"At least she didn't' betray anyone", Ethan said, "I mean, she didn't cheat on anyone and she didn't commit treason, right? It's not her fault."

"People behave badly when even the slightest bit of scandal comes about," Anton awkwardly replied.

"Sorry guys," Ethan said, "It's just compared to what Grayson did hers is actually minor. She didn't really do anything wrong."

"I wouldn't count on that Ethan," Eileen replied, "Think about it. She sees someone and finds out the guy lied to her but she takes the fall. It's what's happening now, just different circumstances."

"Which reminds me", Kira said, "I actually got a call from Zach. He said he might have something to help us."

At that, everyone's mood began to rise. They all could use some good news.

"What did Zach say?" Aisha asked, "Did he find anything about those people?"

"No but he might have someone to help", Kira replied, "From what I heard from him, Zach thinks this person can help us clear Dr. O."

"Wait, you don't have his name?" Rocky asked, "How do we even know if he's a he?"

At that, everyone turned to give Rocky strange looks, Aisha most of all.

"Rocky", Aisha sweetly said. Rocky gulped, knowing what was coming next.

"Kira," Haley said, "Do you know who it is?"

While Rocky was feeling relief at the save, Kira shook her head.

"All I know", Kira started, "Is that Zach got help from this person and he trusts this person, specifically the company the person works for. He tells me the bosses there are like Billy, with more social skills and an edge. The company helps people with legal and financial troubles, even running private investigations. Zach says they're good, and the person he met before is top notch."

"Kira, that's great", Anton excitedly said, although in a restrained manner, "Did you ask Zack anything about when we will meet them?"

Before Kira could answer, a knock on the door was heard. Everyone tensed up, wary of who might be there. Tommy got up and slowly walked to the door, the others hanging back with Connor and Adam behind him, while the rest stood where they were. Tommy came to the door, ready to ask who was there until he heard a voice.

"Dr. Thomas Oliver", a feminine voice was heard, "Mrs. Oliver? Is anyone home? I would like to speak with you."

Everyone cautiously turned to look at one another, trying to determine the threat.

"Everyone, stay back", Tommy said, "I'll open the door, and if it's an ambush, all of you take cover as fast as you can. No one left behind."

"Be careful Tommy", Kim frightfully said. She was behind held by Haley and Aisha, trying to stay steady with much struggle.

Tommy turned to open the door, and he slowly opened it. He left enough of a crack to see a tall Japanese woman, about 5'9', with a heart shaped face framed by a pair of sunglasses, wearing a business suit and dark black hair held up in a tied up braid of some sort. She was beautiful and very professional looking, which made Tommy think she was a lawyer. _Great, Tommy thought to himself, more freaking lawyers_.

"Yes?" Tommy asked, "Can I help you?"

"Certainly Dr. Oliver," the woman evenly replied, "In fact, I can help you. Zachary Taylor referred me to Kira Ford and I came as soon as possible."

Tommy was stunned but he didn't show it. This was the person Kira heard from Zach, and if this person was as good as Zach claimed to be, this is huge. Meanwhile, Kira gasped lightly, not expecting who might the person Zach mentioned to be, but she felt that the woman was powerful, giving off a strong aura. The others felt the same thing, but they were being wary in case of attack, not taking any chances.

"Alright", Tommy said while opening the door, "Come on in."

The woman walked in after Tommy moved aside. After Tommy closed the door and followed her, everyone turned to look at her. It was a vision of beauty and power put together well. She walked in, her five inch heels already accentuating her height, at a strong, confident pace. As she walked in, everyone took note of her. The guys were obviously stunned by the woman's beauty, which earned them a few smacks from their significant others but the women were also impressed by the confidence this woman gave off, especially her ability to walk in those shoes. As soon as she stopped, the woman took stock of the room's occupants, with an impassive face, not giving off much of anything. Tommy returned to Kim's side, preparing for whatever was coming up next, yet afraid of what was to come.

"Welcome to our home", Tommy said, "We were just talking about someone a friend of ours mentioned."

"Please don't feel threatened by us", Kim said, "We just aren't taking any chances with people showing up without suspecting an attack on us. We didn't want to risk that."  
"I'm sure you understandably were", the woman said, "When Zach mentioned to me what was going on, he was concerned. He told us what was happening and we looked over the case. Got to say, other than the circumstances of the case, this seems similar in terms of means and effect to another case we just solved."

"You're the person Zach mentioned," Kira said glossing over the words the woman just said, "He said you can help us."

"I can and we will", the woman said, "We're going to fight for you and look for every bit of evidence to clear your name, Dr. Oliver. We helped your friends before, and we will certainly continue to do so, even if it's finding out ugly truths. We won't stop for anyone, including former Rangers."

At that, everyone gaped at the woman. What is this lady talking about, everyone thought. The woman gave a small smirk.

"As if the Astro Rangers are the only ones whose identities are public knowledge," the woman said, "We already know your identities, and Zach confirmed it for us when we helped him once."

"Who are you?" Connor defensively asked, "And what gives you the right to insinuate anything?"

"Like I said," the woman said as she took off her sunglasses to reveal dark light hazel eyes, "I'm here to help you and we will do everything we can to help you do so. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Minami Wakahisa, and I'm here to nail those bastards to the wall."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Don't own Power Rangers at all, which is why this attempt at fanfiction will try to close up the holes in some plot holes people found.**

**Caution: Slight swearing for now.**

**A/N: Sorry everyone. Work, laziness, etc. I've been trying to figure out how to flesh out the story further, but I've got rough ideas. For now, it'll be just POV's/backgrounds to start for the most part. Right now, we pick off where we left off and start to learn more about Tommy's predicament.**

**Chapter 2: Getting to Know One Other**

Everyone stared at the woman in shock. Firstly, the Dino Thunder Rangers, including one Ranger's former teammates, were discussing the latest things surrounding their fellow Rangers, albeit more negative than positive. Secondly, they meet this woman who literally came from nowhere and claims to not only know who they were, but that she can help them. And who is this 'we' she mentioned after introducing herself to the group and making her bold proclamations, the group asked themselves again. Whoever this Minami Wakahisa was, she's already laid her cards out and they were waiting to find out more.

After a few seconds of silence felt like an eternity, Kim finally spoke up. "Miss Wakahisa-"

"Minami, please", the woman replied.

"Well Minami," Kim continued, "Call me Kim. Please, take a seat. We're all in the living room."

"Thank you, Kim", Minami said.

The woman joined the group and took a seat, courtesy of Tommy brining in a chair from the dining room. Once that was done, the occupants sat down and readied themselves for whatever the woman has to offer.

"So", Tommy started, "Kira mentioned you can help us."

"That's correct", Minami said, "Now, let me just say, it's no guarantee. We could pile up all of the evidence in your favor, but it will not give you your life back in terms of your reputation and all that."

"No, I get it", Tommy said, "My family won't live the same life before this situation came up. I just want them to live without this dark cloud that has been hanging over them for the last few months. Whatever you can do, please do it."

Minami nodded. "Glad to hear that. Now, I'm sure Miss Ford has told you at least a little bit about me, as Zach Taylor told me he referred my company to her."

"She did mention that you work for a consulting firm of some kind", Aisha said.

"That's somewhat true", Minami said, "We occasionally consult clients in manufacturing, healthcare, business and even education, but it is when there are situations similar to yours, Doctor Oliver, that we do the most of our work. We're mainly private eyes, handling damage control and determining the what, how and why a situation occurred. We're not the police. We're not lawyers. Yes, we do investigative work and have legal experts, but we don't decide who's innocent or guilty. We take on cases and view them in ways the police may miss. When that is done, the company's legal team will push things forward to make sure a case goes to court or a settlement is made out of it. Either way, we help our clients in proving their innocence or at least determine what caused our client to be in an unnecessary situation."

At that, Anton could not help but question the woman. "Excuse me, but I do not recall you telling us what your company is called. It sounds convoluted, and it seems to me that you're more like fixers than investigators."

"I assure you, Dr. Mercer," Minami said, "That we're very legit. Yes, you can see us as fixers but we are more than that. As I said, we look at every angle of a case and determine how to resolve the case from beginning to end."

"Zach only mentioned you guys in passing", Kira said, "and it seemed like you're under the radar. I didn't get to tell everyone before you showed up, but you guys are taking an active role in Dr. O's case. Yet, Zach says that you guys are good at what you do and can help us."

Minami smirked at Kira's statement. For some reason, Kira felt unnerved by the woman's smirk. Kira didn't feel threatened by the woman, yet she feels like she _should_ be threatened. Sensing her tension, the others felt the same. They barely know this woman for like a minute and yet she comes in already starting a storm.

"You are, for the most part, correct", Minami said, "We aren't 100 percent actively involved, though Mr. Taylor approached us once he heard about Dr. Oliver's case and we took a wait-and-see approach to decide how to move forward. What we found is disturbing, but in any case, we weren't going to turn away someone we once helped since his friend needed it."

"If you don't mind my asking," Conner asked, "What is your company called?"

Minami turned her gaze towards Conner, who unconsciously flinched at the woman's stare. The odd thing was that she didn't glare at Conner, yet her hazel eyes shone with some sort of mischief that definitely set off warning bells in Conner's mind. It was as if Minami was telepathically telling Conner _'You can ask that question, but don't expect things to be given to you straight all the time'_.

"I actually am one half of the company's founders", Minami replied, "But I believe that some of you may have heard of Rurouni Daiyou."

At that comment, Anton immediately straightened up in his seat, as did Haley, though the rest of the group only focused on Anton's reaction. Confused, Trent moved to ask.

"Dad, are you alright? What's she talking about?"

Ignoring his foster son, Anton stared right at Minami, who did not flinch. "You are actually a part of that _group_? The very group that was spying on me and my company for the last half decade and now you show up at my friend's house during his most troubled time?"

At that, everyone started to get defensive. Eileen, on the other hand, put a comforting hand on Anton's arm.

"Anton", Eileen said, "What's going on? What do you mean 'spying' on you? What is this group?"

"Rurouni Daiyo is the name of a firm that mainly does investigative work, basically their version of Blackwater, though less of a PMC and more of a CIA format."

At that, everyone turned to Haley, who had a troubled look herself. To the surprise of the Dino Thunder team, Haley was rarely thrown off-balance, but the fact that she was gave them pause. To the others, they were just confused.

"PMC?" Adam asked, "Like they're mercenaries? I heard of Wakahisa-Beaufort, but they're a small business aren't they?"

"And how do you know about any of that?" Ethan asked.

"I'm sure Haley's technical skills got her some information," Minami interrupted, "It's not like we did _not_ expect a technical genius to have even come across us at one point, at least indirectly."

Tommy turned a questioning look towards Haley and asked "What's she talking about, Haley?"

Haley turned to the gazes of the former Rangers, specifically her best friend. The Dino Thunder team knew Haley left the corporate world, but not even Tommy knew the reasons why she left and what happened between the time she spent after leaving her old job and before she opened the Cyber Café.

"Let's save that for another time", Minami interrupted. Haley's body instantly relaxed at Minami's interruption, but she was still not prepared to explain to the others her history prior to the Ranger world. Meanwhile, Minami continued her explanation.

"Let me assure you, Dr. Mercer, that we have actually been investigating your company _after_ your mysterious disappearance, as well as your subsequent reemergence. Some people were concerned that you were playing God by going _Jurassic Park_ with your 'ridiculously ambitious' or 'ambitiously ridiculous' attempts at combining dinosaur DNA with technology."

At that last statement, Anton began to get defensive and even Tommy to a certain extent. Their spouses, however, held them back, though they were also beginning to get upset themselves.

"Look", Rocky said, "That's all and good what you were doing before, but what about now? Can you help Tommy or not?"

"I will get there, Mr. Desantos", Minami replied sternly, "But let me assuage Dr. Mercer's concerns first. As I was saying, there was quite a bit of interest and concern at your attempts with such technology. Given recent events, both planetary and inter-planetary, those concerns were justified. Still, there were those within the US government that believed such power could fall in to the hands of enemy forces, so we were called in to investigate. Bear in mind, we weren't Rurouni Daiyou then, barely in the early stages. Still, it was interesting to see how Mercer's split personality arose due to personal experimentation. That was just one event that made those within the government concerned and intrigued at the same time."

Anton calmed down a bit, upon realizing truth behind the woman's words. He did act foolishly by experimenting himself with the formula, but he did it for the betterment of everyone. Granted, it was the dumbest thing to do, but Anton justified it as showing he did not carelessly put aside human value. Still, it was one of his biggest regrets.

"When the explosion occurred", Minami continued after a moment, "We were all concerned but the data we were able to obtain was kept under storage, by us of course. We made certain that no one would use it until the people involved could be found when the time was needed."

"Wait a minute", Conner said, "You guys _stole_that technology?"

"Before you go off", Minami said, "Let me just say that with the destruction of the island lab, we had to make sure no one else could use it for nefarious purposes. Until Mesogog came, we were under the assumption that terrorist forces and enemy states would try to kidnap Dr. Oliver or any person associated with the experiments to try to advance their own ambitions. I'm sure you, Mr. McKnight, would understand what would happen if such technology would fall in to the wrong hands. Not to mention, the technology of older and more recent Ranger teams could have been obtained by enemy forces that would certainly start a third world war."

Conner was ready to retort, but Kira laid a hand on his shoulder to prevent him from going off. Kira mentally understood the woman's reasons, as did everyone else, including Conner after he settled down. Such technology would be devastating when in the wrong hands. They saw that with Mesogog, and in the case of Zordon's rangers, even more so if his powers were abused for selfish purposes. Minami, however, kept going.

"Regardless, we managed to save Dr. Oliver and keep him under close watch. I do apologize for making you suspicious, sir, but understand that we needed to protect you from unsavory characters, especially your last stint as a Ranger."

Tommy chuckled mirthlessly. "I get that. Though, I wonder how you were able to keep surveillance on me from the time I escaped the island's blow up to my arrival at Reefside."

Minami smirked. "That is a secret, Dr. Oliver, however, I can tell you that my husband is very adept at making sure those interested parties are kept at bay. I should know, since I had a hand in stopping them as well."

Anton, however, kept on pressing the issue. "What about the time after I returned? And what did you do to the technology I had developed?"

"I assure you Dr. Mercer", Minami replied, "That it is in the hands of someone very capable and the last person you would expect. In any case, we did keep tabs on your company. Following the end of the Dino Thunder team's services, by our recommendation, your company was taken off the watch list and on to provisional monitoring. That would be due to the Silver Hills arrest of Carter Grayson and your following merger with BioLabs. After the SEC's approval, and a year of monitoring, we took you completely off it. Unless there are other things to find, you're in the clear."

After hearing her explanations, Anton calmed down a bit, though he was a bit perturbed by her talk of the Silver Guardians' arrest of Carter Grayson. The others were the same as well. Still, that raised an interesting point. As if reading their minds, Minami continued.

"I'm sure you're wondering if we had anything to do with Grayson's arrest. Directly, no, but it was by request of the government that we attempted to protect the ones not stolen, and found evidence to link him to the stolen technology. Although, we were involved in the search for the kidnapped girl and as of this moment, there is still no evidence."

At that, Minami's voice softened as did the rest of the room's occupants. It has been five years since Maggie's disappearance. It devastated Dana and was the final straw to cut ties with Carter following his trial. This also caused the ranger teams to strike Carter from the history books, so to speak. It was the most unspeakable tragedy in Ranger history.

"Minami", Kim softly said to break the silence, "Do you still-"

Minami shook her head. "Due to lack of evidence, it's considered a cold case. We do still keep in touch with Dr. Mitchell, though only for new developments, which are none. In addition, it is to make sure if Grayson would attempt to contact her."

At that, Rocky immediately bolted up. "That's something I wonder about. Who in their right mind would even let that traitor go?"

Once again, the room was on edge. Aisha was completely taken by surprise at Rocky's surge, rarely ever seeing Rocky's anger. He was always the jokester, the optimist and loyal friend. Yet even the name Carter Grayson has left a very bad taste in his mouth. Only Aisha ever knew why, and she does not ever want to relive that moment again.

"As you know, Mr. Desantos", Minami calmly said, "I am not the law. The company was also stunned at that development. All I know is that Carter Grayson was able to have his life sentence at least lessened from life imprisonment to possible living to see one last day of freedom."

Most of the Rangers actually snorted at that in disgust, not believing that list statement at all. Minami continued though.

"In addition, reports indicate that Ranger technology have made the black market. Those technologies have been used in crimes ranging from simple muggings, to high end art heists. There have even been reports of organized crime and outside threats using such items, even domestic terrorists have managed to obtain working technology. And these are not even bought items, but created by those who managed to understand these technologies. There have been joint investigations involving every level of law enforcement, the FBI and CIA amongst them. Grayson has been called upon to help combat them as he did help steal Ranger technology. If it makes you feel any better, he is under close surveillance by Commanders Wes Collins and Eric Myers of the Silver Guardians. They will report anything to the higher ups about Grayson."

The Rangers thought that nothing else could make things worse, but Minami's words have truly taken them down. The fact that Ranger technology is being sold to criminals demeans the Ranger legacy. Everyone's mind is working in overdrive to consider the fact that Zordon's legacy is being tarnished and used for horrific crimes, both at home and abroad. Zordon would be truly rolling in his grave by now, if not sooner. Learning that Wes and Eric are monitoring the very man they arrested was not even significant in their minds. It was just another nail in the coffin for the former Lightspeed leader.

"Just one thing," Tanya said, "Do you know anything about Dana?"

The others immediately snapped to and looked at Minami, who had a neutral expression on her face. After a few seconds, Minami spoke.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Park. All I know is that she moved with her family to stay with a relative in Colorado. After that, she went further east to live close to other relatives. She's now a leading pediatrician in New York City, Ryan works with disaster response teams as both a consultant and emergency worker. His wife, on the other hand, still is involved with extreme sports, though not as often as she used to. They are expecting their second child, though it's not due for a few more months."

That made at least for some positive news, even though they have not contacted the Mitchells for a while. Ryan and Kelsey were starting a family, though they cannot help but wonder if Dana would ever find love again. At least Dana still has their support, even on the other side of the country.

Immediately, Minami cleared her throat. "If there is nothing else, may we get on with why I'm here?"

"Just one thing", Kira asked, "You mentioned your husband earlier, right? "

Before Kira could go further, Minami raised her hand to silence her before she herself spoke.

"Unfortunately, I cannot tell you at this time. Later on I will, but at the moment, we must deal with Tommy Oliver's situation."

"In that case", Kim said, "We should all just use our first names. I'm sure you already know everyone else's names, and I guess everything else about them."

Minami nodded at Kim. "Yes. I know you were the Pink Mighty Morphin and Crane Ninjetti Ranger, Kimberly Hart-Oliver."

She then turned to Tommy. "Dr. Tommy Oliver. The Green Mighty Morphin Power Ranger, White Mighty Morphin, White Falcon Ninjetti, Zeo Ranger Five Red, first Red Turbo and Black Dino Thunder Ranger. "

Though he didn't exactly show it, Tommy was slightly impressed that Minami managed to say all of his Ranger incarnations effortlessly, considering his long standing term as a Ranger.

Minami then turned to Adam and Tanya. "Adam Park. You were the second Black Mighty Morphin Power Ranger, Black Frog Ninjetti, Green Zeo, and first Green Turbo Ranger. Tanya Sloane-Park. You were Zeo Ranger Two Yellow and first Yellow Turbo Ranger."

She then looked at Rocky and Aisha. "Rocky DeSantos. Second Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger, Red Ape Ninjetti, Zeo Ranger Three Blue. Aisha Tyler DeSantos. Second Yellow Mighty Morphin Power Ranger, Yellow Bear Ninjetti."

Without batting an eyelash, she turned to the Dino Thunder team who all seemed nervous. "The Dino Thunder Rangers led by Conner McKnight, Red Tyrannosaurs. Ethan Hunt, Blue Triceratops. Kira Ford, Yellow Pterodactyl. Trent Fernandez, White Drago. Anton Mercer, founder and CEO of Mercer Industries, formerly Mesogog. Eileen Mercer, formerly Elsa. Haley Ziktor, the team's technical advisor."

After finishing her assessments, she eyed all of the Rangers and non-Rangers present. "I managed to read the files on all of you, as well as learning what I could from Zach Taylor as he has managed to keep in contact with some of you, thought it is much more difficult with some of the Olivers' past teammates."

The said couple sobered immediately, thinking of a couple of their friends suffering wherever they were. The rest of the present group, however, was thinking of more different things.

"Ok look", Kira said, "You basically are an investigative consultant. You know Dr. O's situation. What can you do for him now?"

Minami moved forward in the chair she sat in. "I think I can at least answer that question." She put her hand in the insides of her jacket, which put Conner and Ethan on edge. Minami froze, giving them the evil eye.

"It's not a weapon boys", Minami said, "I have some equipment that are easily carried as well as a flash drive. I just need to set my things up on the table so everyone can see."

The two calmed down, though Kira and Haley were giving them stiff glares for overreacting. Meanwhile, Minami got the go ahead from the Olivers. She pulled out a computer tablet that looked like a window with metal sides on it and placed it on the table, along with a holder of some kind for the glass object. She connected the two and powered up the device. She then took out her flash drive and connected it to the computer. In an instant, the screen came to life with data and information that was extremely clear for everyone to see, even from a somewhat small type of computer. Everyone was stunned, particularly Ethan, as such devices are hard to come by unless you're certain businesses. On the screen were the images of the two people that directly created the situation the Rangers found themselves in.

"This is the information on Mikhail Anderson and Hannah Skalara. It includes the information I'm sure you guys already found out. Work history and past addresses, the simple things. What you may not know is that while you guys were playing cyber games, we were able to creatively crack whatever system it was covering those two, while also protecting you guys."

At that, Ethan and Hailey stood to attention. "What was that?" both asked.

Minami sighed and continued. "Seriously guys, the fact that you haven't been able to find out anything more about them is troubling, considering the technical expertise the two of you have. The fact that someone was able to throw you both off and hack in your systems indicates that whoever is keeping you guys from really clearing Tommy boy has to be involved with those two."

The two immediately leaned closer as if to hear some classified information. "You mean there's a conspiracy?" Ethan asked, "Like government cover ups?"

"I wouldn't go that far", Minami said, "But Anderson and Skalara, as of yesterday morning, did not even exist."

At that, everyone went wide-eyed. Two people that were the cause of everything happening in Tommy's life suddenly don't exist anymore? That doesn't make sense in their minds.

"Wait a minute", Hailey interrupted, "What do you mean _don't _exist? We saw their records-"

"I'm not saying you're wrong", Minami said, "What I'm saying is that those records have falsified, but we're still looking into it in terms of why and how."

Minami then, with a wave of her hand, enlarged an image of a handsome looking, dark-haired man with a strong jaw line and bright blue eyes. This man was Mark Anderson.

"From what we have gathered", Minami continued, "Mark Anderson was a high school assistant football coach at Pine Hill High from 2000 to 2007. He then took on the head coaching job at Reefside after stints in Turtle Cove and Stone Canyon. He was the one who found Tommy standing over an unconscious Miss Skalara, and got the ball rolling to accuse him of violent assault against a student. A couple of our investigators looked in to it, and while he was present in those areas, we determined that references for Coach Anderson turned out to be faked, as there has been no record of a Mark Anderson working for any of those schools at any point in time."

"But I interviewed him", Eileen exasperatedly said, "I even called those schools and the administrators and coaches there gave references for him. How is this even possible?"

"I assure you Mrs. Mercer", Minami said, "He had everyone fooled. In fact, the only record of a 'Mark Anderson' is a Marcus James Anderson, a high school _gym teacher_ at Turtle Cove and he was well-respected within the community."

That threw everyone for a loop. Someone stole the identity of another person, an innocent man who had no idea he would be used in a despicable scheme. The worst, though, was that Eileen, who has prided herself on making sure that everything checks out with potential employees, was fooled badly as she took the word of references that may or may not have been involved in causing Tommy's predicament. Sensing her pain, Anton calmly put a hand over hers, which Eileen squeezed for reassurance.

"So did you guys actually question him yet?" Kim asked.

Minami paled at Kim's question, giving away the fact that she found something unsettling. "I'm afraid that's not possible. When we provisionally investigated at Zach Taylor's request, we went to those schools and learned that, while this Mr. Anderson was present, they have no record of him being a coach of any kind at their schools. In fact, the man whose identity was stolen was deceased as of late 2004. The Anderson you've been dealing with turned out to have no connection to any of his supposed prior posts."

Upon hearing Minami's findings, everyone was instantly disgusted. To steal the identity of a dead man was low. Whoever this person was, he smeared the name of a community's deceased member, dragging the poor soul's name through the mud that is Tommy's situation. But the worst was yet to come; the group just did not know it yet. Minami then brought up the image of a young female with chestnut hair, a small round face, and big brown doe eyes.

"As for Hannah Skalara", Minami continued, "She actually does exist. The problem, though, is her high school record before 2012."

"How so?" Tommy asked.

"She actually attended five other high schools before this year," Minami replied, "And of all the schools she attended prior to Reefside, only one lasted a whole year. The rest were only for months at a time."

"Wait", Conner said, "This girl lasted a whole school year at one school out of four others she attended? Did she move a lot or something?"

"Dude", Ethan said, "I know teenagers can transfer from schools for specific reasons, but it's hard to believe that someone can attend so many different high schools before their senior year. It's impossible, even if you're from a military family or a business one, no offense to the Mercers."

Trent waved it off. "Not a problem. Dad only put me through different schools cause of his business, and that's when I was a kid."

"Though I would put Trent through that many schools if my business required me to", Anton cheekily said, "But it is like Ethan said, it's hard to believe that this girl could have a high school record that would be that condensed."

A loud gasp was heard. Everyone immediately turned to Kim, who had her hand over her mouth. Tommy immediately put his arm around her.

"Kim", Tommy said, "What's wrong?"

"Tommy", Kim muffled out, "how old were you when you came to Angel Grove?"

Out of all the things everyone, including Tommy, expected Kim to ask, that wasn't it.

"What does that have to do with anything, Kim?" Tommy asked, "I was about the same age as you guys. Like fifteen or sixteen."

"Then", Kim continued, "How does a woman managed to get into high school when she is like thirty years old?"

At that, everyone turned to see profile on Hannah Skalara. What they found when they saw her birth date shocked everyone to the core. Instead of the birth date of a high school teenager who would be about eighteen or nineteen years old, it is one of an adult who was born thirty two years ago.

"What the", Aisha started.

"Usually I would make a '21 Jump Street' joke", Rocky said, "But this is too freaky."

"Oh my god", Eileen gasped while raising a hand to her mouth, "How did we miss that?"

"This is real?" Kira gasped out, "She's really-"

"She lied about her age?" Adam asked.

"Believe me", Minami said, "This takes the whole notion of lying about one's age to a whole new extreme. And before you ask, yes, this is a false profile."

She then brought up a new profile, with the same image but different information. "Her real name is Larissa Perkins. We ran her image through all school system profiles, and when there was a hit, we were shocked. Miss Perkins was fifteen years old when she disappeared all of a sudden in the early 1990's. There's an APB out for her and Anderson, though even if we do find them, how much they know is up for debate."

Minami shut down the device before continuing. "It's shocking to know that the supposed victim, Skalara, was actually a co-conspirator, or at least a pawn, in this case. It's even more so when she is actually a missing child who looks like she should have back in her teenage years a decade ago. The fact that she is working with a man who stole someone's identity is even more disturbing. And we have no idea who this Anderson really is, and what he might be capable of. For now, though, while things will calm down, I suggest you all keep your guard up. Who knows if they might try something again, which is why I am willing to help you as much as I can."

As soon as Minami finished her explanations, everyone sat back in shock. It was bad enough that one of the two people involved was an identity thief. Add in the fact that there is a woman who is really an adult but still looks like a teenager is more disturbing. No one had any clue what to expect at all. Right now, everyone was too shocked to think of anything else. Finally, after what seemed like hours, someone did speak.

"Are you absolutely certain that they don't exist?" Adam asked, "At least based on their supposed names?"

Minami tersely nodded. "I'm afraid so. Believe me, when we took on this case, we were prepared to expect the unexpected. Identity theft is one thing, but with a missing child case, that takes it to a whole new level."

"What do you suggest we do now?" Tommy asked finally.

"Right now," Minami replied, "Is to keep low still. The news report should come up about the latest developments. I'll apprise you of them but don't expect things to start changing to your way. Crimes such as the one you're accused of don't take long to take root, and it'll take longer to uproot that. In the mean time, like I said earlier, keep your guard up. Who knows what will happen next."

At that, everyone nodded. Minami then looked at her watch.

"It seems I spent enough time here", Minami said, "I'll report back to my company and work on strategizing from here on out."

"Thank you", Kim said, "For helping us. We were at the end of our rope here, even when we tried everything possible to solve this with our friends. Tommy and I just want our children home so that we can walk out in public without any fear."

"It's understandable, Kim", Minami said, "Believe me when I say we've dealt with things like this before. It's always difficult for a family in times like these."

With that, everyone stood up. Tommy moved forward with Kim in tow.

"Like Kim said", Tommy spoke, "We appreciate everything you've done. We've tried to speak up for ourselves but no one cared to listen. Thankfully you guys have."

"Don't offer me a handshake just yet, Tommy", Minami said, "We've still got a ways to go. Proving that there is doubt to the crime you are accused of helps, but we need to know what their motive was for this. Who knows what their end game is."

Tommy nodded. Everyone gave their thanks, though Haley was somewhat reserved in giving hers. So far, no one asked anything yet, but she knew after Minami left that questions will be thrown her way. For now, she's just glad that Tommy has a fighting chance to clear his name once and for all.

The group waited inside the living room while Tommy and Kim led Minami to the front door. As they cautiously moved forward, Minami turned back towards them.

"Just so you know", Minami said, "there are people out there who will see your situation as something to take advantage of."

At that, the Olivers were confused. As if sensing their confusion, Minami continued.

"From both inside and outside of the government, not all of them are too keen on you being secretive about your group as a whole. Even the Ranger teams that are public knowledge do not make the government entirely comfortable. Given recent events, some would take this as an opportunity to bring every Ranger team in to become government wards so to speak. Be careful."

At that, the Olivers nodded

"We understand", Tommy said, "Given what's happened these past couple of years, there are bound to be some people who will question us and seek to take advantage of our problems for their own use. We're still going to stand by what Zordon taught us, only taking extreme measures when necessary."

"We may not be Rangers anymore", Kim continued, "But we'll still fight when necessary and we won't back down. We're still a family, even when newer Ranger teams show up and don't' necessarily know us personally. Zordon's legacy will still live on, no matter what."

At that, Minami internally is pleased that they're still going to fight the good fight even from the sidelines. Her only question, though, is if they're still prepared to back those words when they find out things about their mentor that might change their minds about him, assuming they are as bad as she heard they were. Shaking those thoughts away, Minami gave them a small smile.

"Zach always said you two were the Power Couple", Minami said, "A shame it took this long to get you guys back together. Shame still that you're time as a married couple is now marred by all of this. Hopefully you guys will get back on track once we clear everything up."

Sensing her genuine words, Kim suddenly hugged her with all her might.

'_Geez, what is she made out of?' _Minami thought, _'She's so tiny compared to me, yet I'm getting air sucked out of me.'_

After getting over her initial shock, Minami gently hugged Kim. Immediately, Kim let go and smiled at her.

"Thank you", Kim said, "For taking on this case for us."

"Your welcome", Minami said.

While the two women were talking, Tommy seemed to be thinking of something else. He got the strange feeling that Minami was holding out something, but what he did not know. Up to this point, there was no reason to doubt her but she did come out of the blue and was able to find things no one else they knew could. Still, if she is able to prove his innocence, then Tommy will take it. Another thing is that he wondered how she got to the house without arousing suspicion and he got the funny feeling that someone was watching them.

Tommy's thoughts were interrupted, however, when Minami was prepared to leave.

"Well I'm off", Minami said, "I will get back to all of you soon."

"Which is your car, if you don't mind my asking?" Tommy asked.

Minami smirked, and walked off the porch. Curiously, the Olivers followed her in their sight, until they came upon a red Kia Sorrento. This struck the Olivers odd, as they thought Minami was a well-off woman considering her company has interests outside of investigative work. Regardless, they kept an eye on her and watched her get to the driver's side.

"If you're worried about people following me", Minami said, "Don't worry. I managed to get here the same way your friends did. I just did it in a _slightly_ different manner."

At that Minami, opened the door, put her sunglasses on and got in as she waved good-bye. The Olivers waved good-bye as well and watched her start the car and drive off. As soon as she got her car out of reverse, she waved good-bye again, and the Olivers waved in kind as they watched her go off. As soon as her car went out of view, the Olivers went back inside to rejoin the others.

"Tommy", Kim began as they walked inside, "Do you really believe that she can help us?"

Tommy looked at her strangely as he closed the door. "I think it's a step in the right direction. Why do you ask?"

Kim took a breath and explained. "It's just that while I actually trust that woman, I can't help but feel that there's something else to her. Like she knew about us from Zach, ok, but honestly, how did she know about the last Ranger team you were on? Zach doesn't really have much of a connection to them other than through you. Also, it's odd that she totally shows up all of a sudden and then gives us information we couldn't find even with our friends' help. Information, actually, that would be best served if we didn't know and waited to find out from them so that a plan could be made and those involved would be taken down. And that doesn't even mention the whole 'husband' bit, which I didn't see a ring on her hand. I know I sound crazy, but-"

Tommy instantly put a finger to her lips to stop her talking. "I get what you're saying Kim and I understand. I actually felt that someone was watching us while we were outside with Minami, but I can't say for sure. Yes, a lot of this is strange and we should be cautious about it. Still, I won't look at a gift in the horse's mouth. This is something we need to clear my name, get you out of this mess in town and bring our kids back home so we can be a family again. That is what I'm striving for, beautiful, and nothing's going to stop me from getting that. We're going to get through this and we will stand with our friends as they have for us, as we help one another move forward."

Calming down, Kim went on her toes and kissed Tommy on the lips. Tommy deepened the kiss, full of passion and love for Kim and vice versa. That, however, was stopped by an unnecessary problem.

"Get a room you two", Rocky said, "Kids in the room."

A slap was heard, followed by a yelp. Laughter rang through the house and the Olivers laughed as well.

"I'm glad to have found you again, handsome", Kim said, "And we're going to stay together for sure. I miss the kids and we're going to have them home with us soon. That's what I'm hoping for."

Tommy nodded. "As do I, Kim. Come on let's get back to the others. We still have plenty to talk about."

Tommy took hold of Kim's hand and she squeezed it, and the two love birds walked back to the others. What they did not realize, though, was at the same time the woman who just left was revealing secrets of her own outside of public viewing.

The woman's car was being driven further and further away after the Olivers went back inside. As soon as she saw that she was away from the Oliver home, she moved her car through a thick patch of trees. Normally, that action would at least raise a few eyebrows and cause alarm for most people. Minami, however, was not most people. As she got far enough into the thick forest area, she parked the car and turned the engine off. A minute later, the car suddenly shifted in size and shape. It went from being a small, low level vehicle to a mid-size vehicle resembling a black Ford Explorer.

"All clear", Minami said to no one as she took her sunglasses off.

The sound of movement suddenly could be heard, as someone popped up from the back seat and moved to the passenger seat after lowering the back down. The sound of a chair being adjusted was heard and after it was done, Minami turned to the figure next to her.

"Well that was fun", Minami said, "How did you enjoy the show?"

The person sitting next to Minami was a male who easily dwarfed her in size and height, at least a foot taller than her. He wore a leather jacket over a white shirt and wore kahki pants. The man was well built, not bulky but certainly well built. He had smooth blonde hair that had short bangs in the front that seemingly merged into a short wave when combed to the side. His face is a model's look, with a strong jaw line and well defined cheeks, his face well proportioned. The most striking feature would have been eyes, but they were covered by sunglasses. Without missing a beat, the man spoke without looking.

"Unfortunately", the man replied, "Not as much as I would like."

Minami raised an eyebrow. "You didn't like it at all? I thought we were supposed to tell them the information we got and that we were solving this case, Aiden?"

"Of course you had to tell them", the man named Aiden replied, "We could not keep this evidence from them after we determined the evidence to be legit and hold up in court. We're definitely clearing his name."

"Then what's the problem?" Minami asked.

"Whoever or whatever is behind all of this", Aiden began, "was able to create new identities with two completely unrelated people, one a missing child still seemingly young and the other we have no idea who he is. From there, a plan was developed to smear Tommy Oliver's name and create even more friction amongst the Ranger teams. That would be an elaborate scheme that required a lot of planning, cunning, and money. We have no idea who is behind this and what is there to gain from all of it. Not to mention the fact that the Grayson and Hillard situations were brought up when you were inside, though those were mostly brought up before you went inside. All of these events involve the Power Rangers, and not just one team, but every team that was in existence and is now. It's not just a coincidence, I'm sure of it."

Minami was silent as she heard Aiden's explanation. She understood that all of these events were oddly timed right, with one event happening after another or multiple events occurring. The three big ones were obvious, but there were smaller ones involved like the one with Zach Taylor. Minami knows there's a grand plan to all of this, but what that was she had no idea.

"You may be right", Minami said, "We don't know how big this thing goes. There is no way to say for sure that it is one person with a lot of power or an organization that is backing all of this. Still, I honestly thought those events were unrelated to one another. The strange thing, though, is that all of these events did not start with the original Ranger team. Rather, things only started to roll when the original Rangers suffered a tragedy."

Aiden silently digested that piece of information, knowing of the event Minami was talking about. It was an event that devastated not only a family but a legacy of Power Rangers. That was the event that truly created a downhill slide for the Rangers.

"You're right about that", Aiden said, "The original twelve Power Rangers started this whole legacy when Zordon chose them to become Rangers. In fact, there's reason for us to now believe that this has to do with Zordon."

Puzzled, Minami eyed Aiden with a skeptical look. "What do you mean by that? Zordon chose five teens to be Rangers and from there it grew. What does Zordon have to do with any of this when he's dead?"

Aiden had then taken out a communication device of some sort and activated it. He shifted through the digital files to find the one he wanted and once he did passed the device on to Minami. This confused Minami, but she read it anyway. Five minutes later, her face was one of shock and confusion.

"This happened while we were in Reefside?" Minami quietly asked, "All of this is legit?"

"Afraid so", Aiden said, "Two of our people overheard this group at the old Command Center and they believe that Zordon may have been involved in something that may not have been entirely in line with today's Rangers. They aren't certain, but they believe it revolves around something called the 'Chimeran Project' when they managed to pick up what they heard from those recon teams. They found some old zords and information of some kind, but whatever the reasons are for those, it can't be good. Whoever these guys work for, they're going to try to create an army of some kind and that would be bad for all of us."

Minami didn't say a word, only giving the device back to Aiden. Her thoughts were filled with dark memories of the past, one she tried to move on from but cannot. Sensing her turmoil, Aiden not only grabbed the device but also her hand. He put his left arm around her shoulders, comforting her as she was reminiscing.

"You think it's them, don't you?" Aiden asked.

It was almost a statement, but Minami understood what Aiden was asking. She nodded her head slightly, and Aiden pulled her towards him, comforting her as his powerful arms encircled her. Minami grabbed on to him as if she was drowning, and right now, she was drowning in sorrow for not herself, but for the Olivers.

"It's not fair", Minami softly said, "It's just not fair. The Olivers finally became a family, only to be torn apart by cruel plans. Dana has begun to fall in love again, yet still searches for her only child. Cassie is barely recovering from her depression. Taylor, on the other hand, is barely able to hold on after an attack devastated her and Eric is living with guilt. What did they do to deserve this?"

"They live", Aiden replied, "They live as much as anyone else does. Granted, they do things no one else does but they live just like any other person on this planet. They're symbols of all that is good in the world, no matter what. Someone or something is trying to destroy that, and with the way things have been going on throughout the world these past few years, they're going to be needed to answer the call for help when the time comes. For now, we do what we have to do to help them and anyone else that needs it."

Minami nodded against his body, and the two broke the physical contact. Minami then reached into her shirt pocket and pulled out a golden ring. She then put it on her left ring finger.

"Shouldn't have hidden it when you mentioned me", Aiden teased, "People would think you were making stuff up."

Minami giggled. "Well, when I first mentioned you, I had to give them one more tidbit. I was trying to save you as a surprise, though now they're going to be wondering what you look like. I was hoping to keep this quiet until we broke them in."

Aiden placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, sweetheart. Besides, it's not like anyone's going to look into it. At least, not right now with all that's going on as they need to strategize. Speaking of which, we need to head back and rendezvous with the others. We're going to go over what we learned and plan our next steps. We still have a ways to go."

Minami responded by starting the engine. "Then let's not make them wait."

"Let's," Aiden said.

After a several seconds, Minami drove the car and almost immediately the car vanished. Nothing appeared to be disturbed and all was at it should be. As for somewhere else, well, that is an entirely different issue.

**Sorry for the abrupt ending there but that is as far as I thought when I finally wrote this. I know I revealed quite a bit early on, but I didn't want to try to go through figuring out all of the intricacies at the moment. I set the stage up but I may do some one-shot prequels to help provide further background. At this moment, I'm only setting up where the Rangers are in general. Hopefully you can all understand that. See ya later.**


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